Surprises around every corner? part one of four parts ? Belle Grove ...

Special Note:

There was so much that happened this long weekend, it is going to take me four postings to get it all in.

I will tell you the last post will have the most exciting part!

After a very busy week at my current job, I decided it was time for a long weekend. So Brett and I took Monday off and set off on a grand weekend. The best part of the weekend was that we had nothing planned. We took it moment by moment. And I have to tell you, it was wonderful!

Belle Grove Plantation
Middletown, Virginia

When Friday rolled around, I knew that I wanted to head up to Middletown, Virginia. This is the location of the Belle Grove Plantation that was owned by James Madison?s sister, Nelly Madison Hite. It was in part the location that started us on our search for our bed and breakfast.

www.bellegrove.org

This plantation got its start with Jost Hite, a German immigrant who came to the Shenandoah Valley in 1732 with his partner Robert McKay to settle on 140,000 acres with sixteen other families. These acres were acquired through two land grants. In 1770, Isaac Hite Sr. purchased 483 acres that would become the Belle Grove Plantation.

Old Hall foundation
Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, Virginia

The grand manor house was not the first home on this plantation. There was a large limestone home that was built around 1750 for a tenant farmer. The foundation of this home, later called ?Old Hall? can still be seen next to the smokehouse. It was in this house that James Madison brought Dolley to for their honeymoon.

Belle Grove Plantation
Middletown, Virginia

Isaac Hite Sr.?s son, Isaac Hite Jr, who attended William and Mary College and served during the American Revolution, married Nelly Conway Madison, sister of James Madison in 1783. Major Hite?s father gave the couple the 483 acres as a wedding gift. The manor house was started in 1794 and took three years to complete. It was through his brother-in-law James Madison friendship with Thomas Jefferson that Major Hite was able to consult with Mr. Jefferson on the design of Belle Grove. Mr. Jefferson?s influence is seen in the final design.? The manor house is built of limestone that was quarried from the property. It is said that Nelly named the plantation ?Belle Grove? after our Belle Grove Plantation in Port Conway, Virginia.

Sadly Nelly Madison Hite would not live very long in this beautiful manor. She passed away in 1803, just six years after its competitions. From my research Major Hite and Nelly had three children:

James Hite Jr ? Born January 29, 1793 ? Died January 11, 1860

James Hite ? Born April 10, 1788 ? Died December 8, 1791

Nelly Conway Hite ? Born December 1, 1789 ? Died 1836

Nelly Madison Hite would be laid to rest in the family cemetery in Warren County. Major Hite would marry Ann Tustall Maury. With his three children with Nelly and another ten with Ann, Major Hite expanded his manor house to include a 100 foot fa?ade to the west side of the house. He would also expand his land holdings to a total of 7,500 acres and would have 103 slaves. He would open and operate a general store, grist mill, saw mill and distillery. The house remained in the Hite family until Ann?s death in 1851.

View from the front stairs
Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, Virginia

After the Hite family, there were several owners. In 1907, the Brumback family purchased the plantation. In the 1920?s they would operate an inn. It was sold to Francis Welles Hunnewell of Wellesley, Massachusetts in 1929. He would carefully restore this manor house in the 1930s and 1940s and later bequeath the house and 100 acres along with a $100,000.00 endowment to the National Trust for Historic Preservation at his death in 1964. The plantation would open as a museum in 1967 and is still operating as a museum and working farm to this day.

Site of the Cedar Creek Battle (also known as the Battle of Belle Grove)
Front field of Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, Virginia

According to Wikipedi, during the Civil War, this plantation was center stage for the Battle of Cedar Creek, also known as the Battle of Belle Grove. This battle was part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864. During this campaign, this area would exchange hands 70 times! In one day it would exchange hands 13 times! This area of the Shenandoah Valley was important to both sides as it would have given a backdoor to either Washington D.C. or Richmond. During this time, General Philip Sheridan had burned his way through the Shenandoah Valley, destroying crops, livestock and homes, much like that of General Sherman?s march through the South.

Lieutenant General Jubal Early

On October 19, 1864 Lieutenant General Jubal Early launched a surprise attack against the encamped army of Major General Philip Sheridan, just across the Cedar Creek, just northeast of Strasburg, Virginia. During this fight, seven Union infantry divisions were forced to fall back and lost numerous prisoners and cannons. Lieutenant General Early failed to continue his attach north of Middletown and Major General Sheridan, dramatically ridding to the battlefield from Winchester, Virginia was able to rally his troops to hold a new defensive line. A Union counterattack that afternoon route LieutenantGeneral Early?s army.

Major General Philip Sheridan

The Final Confederate invasion of the North was effectively ended. The Confederacy was never again able to threaten Washington D.C. through the Shenandoah Valley, nor protect one of its key economic bases in Virginia.

Our visit to this plantation was even more special as the plantation was also hosting a Family Reunion for the Hite Family. I had hoped to meet someone from the Hite-Madison side of the family, but I kept just missing them. Brett and I were able to meet several of the wonderful museum docents that we shared our Belle Grove with and compared notes on the families.

Since Brett and I had been there, they had added several new exhibits as well as carpeting in the halls. Believe it or not, but Major Hite had full rooms of carpet in the dining room and main parlor! Major Hite was great at keeping records and had saved the receipt for these purchases. The museum was able to trace the purchase back to the company in England, who?are still in business. This company reproduced these carpets and they were installed as they would have been during Major Hite?s time at Belle Grove.

Some other points of interest at Belle Grove are outside. In the mortar on the back door wall, you can see the signatures of Civil War soldiers that were encamped on Belle Grove. There is also a beautiful kitchen garden just behind the house. Down past the barn, you can also see a field of stones. This is the slave cemetery of Belle Grove. Each grave is marked by a single stone with no names or dates.

Cannon Ball hit to the front wall
Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, Virginia

View of the back of house from kitchen garden
Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, Virginia

Slave Cemetery
Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, Virginia

Stone marking the grave of a slave
Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, Virginia

One last story of Belle Grove that is worth telling is the story of the death of Confederate Major General Stephen Dodson Ramseur. After being mortally wounded during the Battle of Cedar Creek, Major General Ramseur was carried from the field to Belle Grove. There his Union friends Major General George Armstrong Custer, Colonel Wesley Merritt and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander C. Pennington, all whom he had met at West Point sat with him through the night comforting him as he lay dying.

Major General Stephen Dodson Ramseur

Major General George Armstrong Custer

Colonel Wesley Merritt

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander C. Pennington

Once Brett and I finished walking around the house and remembering our first time at Belle Grove, we drove over to the Hite Family cemetery. I have to tell you this is not an easy find. It is located down a dirt road that runs along the river. If you didn?t know where to look, you would miss it. It is a small cemetery that has a flag pole in it center. Just as you walk in to cemetery through a modern chain link fence, you see a small grouping of tombstones to the back left. There towards the middle we found Nelly C. Hite. It first, I wondered why they had not placed her maiden name on the tombstone, but then I remembered that she had passed in 1803. Her brother would not rise to fame as the fourth president until 1809.

Story Continues Tomorrow

A Night in Winchester, Virginia

Source: http://virginiaplantation.wordpress.com/2012/08/01/surprises-around-every-corner-part-one-of-four-parts/

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Networking Provides Possible Sources for Small Business Funding ...

From the moment you enter the business world, there?s one word of advice that?s repeated over and over again, a mantra for the modern entrepreneur: networking.

Networking will help you grow your business. Networking will help you attract customers. Networking will help you stay ahead of the curve.

There?s no sure-fire way to network, and for those starting a business, any social event can yield surprising results, from word-of-mouth referrals to previously unknown funding opportunities. By taking advantage of every opportunity, you could quickly find that more doors are being opened for you than you ever thought possible.

Perhaps the most likely place to make business connections is through a local chamber of commerce. Particularly for small, local businesses, meeting other area merchants could be key to helping grow business opportunities. Some regions have various chambers of commerce, and it may prove beneficial to join as many as possible. Chambers of commerce often hold networking events at which you will be able to make contacts, discuss business ideas and learn about new funding opportunities.

At these events, it?s important not to be too shy. The other businessmen in attendance are also interested in meeting new people who can help them with their own ventures, and avoiding contact can only hurt you both. Conversations can be started with the simplest of questions, like ?what line of work are you in,? or ?how is your business doing?? It may seem obvious, but for some shy entrepreneurs, these simple questions can help break the ice.

Not all networking opportunities come during prescribed events, however, and the savvy entrepreneur can make connections in the least likely of situations. From casual conversations on a vacation to events at a local church, opportunities are everywhere. For new company owners, it?s vitally important to make time not just for your burgeoning business, but for your social life, as well. Meeting new people is the fastest way to grow your pool of contacts, and participating in as many different social events and outings as possible is the best way to meet new people.

Of course, instead of just waiting for these social events and occasions to present themselves, ambitious entrepreneurs can create their own opportunities. Consider attending regional business or entertainment awards shows, or finding trade shows in your area, even if they don?t directly relate to your own business. Opportunities are everywhere and often come in unlikely forms.

Source: http://www.bizfilings.com/blog/index.php/2012/08/01/networking-provides-possible-sources-for-small-business-funding-growth-opportunities/

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Anxiety shown to be important risk factor for workplace absence ...

During a?chat?yesterday with?Stanford psychiatrist Laura Roberts, MD, I learned that depression is one of the leading causes of missed work among U.S. adults. I had no idea, but the numbers are staggering: As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports,?depression leads to 200 million lost workdays in the U.S.?annually ? costing employers $17-44 billion.

As it turns out, though, depression isn?t the only common mental disorder that can lead to workplace disruptions. In a recent study?(subscription required)?appearing in the?journal?Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Norwegian researchers followed 13,436 participants for up to six years and?showed that depression and anxiety were predictors of the onset, duration and recurrence of sick leave.?They?also found that?the?risk of prolonged absence and repeated sick leave was?highest among people with both illnesses,?and that anxiety may actually be more problematic, from?an employment perspective,?than depression.

Anxiety alone is a stronger risk factor for prolonged and frequent sick leave than depression alone

From a Norwegian Institute of Public Health?piece:

?Surprisingly, we found that anxiety alone is a stronger risk factor for prolonged and frequent sick leave than depression alone. Further, anxiety seems to be a relatively stable risk factor for sick leave, as we found an increased risk of sickness absence up to six years after the anxiety level was assessed,? says Ann Kristin Knudsen? lead author of the study and a PhD student at the University of Bergen and the Division of Mental Health at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Knudsen and her colleagues note that their study is the first to show the effect of mental disorders on sick leave?over a long period of time, and they discuss the implications of their anxiety findings in the paper:

Most clinicians are aware of the role depression can play in precipitating and perpetuating sickness absence. However, the results presented in this study suggest anxiety may be even more important? Further work is needed in understanding how health professionals dealing with sickness absence?can best identify anxiety and other [depression] symptoms and prevent further prolongations or recurrence of any?sickness absence episode.

Previously:?Research shows working out may benefit work life?and How work stress affects wellness, health-care costs

Source: http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2012/08/01/anxiety-shown-to-be-important-risk-factor-for-workplace-absence/

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2308 Manor Green Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53711 at Real Estate ...

Description:?Contact Keith and Kinsey Schulz at 608-492-2272 ? http://keithandkinsey.yourkwagent.com ? Look, Love, Own! Great 3 bedroom nestled in a low traffic tree-lined street ready for move in day! Hardwoods, updated kitchen, large lot and great patio space for your family! Don?t miss the amazing lower level bathroom shower! Close to park and school, easy access to highway and Beltline. Sellers hate to say good bye to this wonderful family home! Backyard is flat and has extra big storage shed for your lawn mower, snow blower & more!

Source: http://realestatevideohdhat.com/2012/07/2308-manor-green-drive-madison-wisconsin-53711/

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2 poker sites agree to forfeit $731 million

The world's largest poker company and its rival have settled federal money laundering and fraud charges, agreeing to pay hundreds of millions of dollars, most of which will be used to reimburse online gamblers, authorities said.

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PokerStars, which is based on the Isle of Man, off the coast of Ireland, agreed to forfeit $731 million, including $547 million that will be available to reimburse U.S. customers of the rival, Full Tilt Poker. Full Tilt also agreed to settle and will cease independent operations.

The settlement also sets the stage for PokerStars to re-enter the burgeoning U.S. market.

PokerStars and Full Tilt, which did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement, became the dominant sites for Web gamblers in the United States after Congress explicitly banned real-money gambling on online card games in 2006 and other companies withdrew from the market.

While Full Tilt claimed to be based in the Channel Islands, many of its owners were in the United States, including poker pro Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, who authorities said owned 19 percent of the company. The Full Tilt player-owners were prominent figures in the poker world, sporting "Full Tilt" hats as they competed in televised tournaments after networks rejected poker commercials.

Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, described the bettors as victims, according to The New York Times. He said that the settlement would "allow us to quickly get significant compensation into the victim players' hands," according to the newspaper.

Poker players sue to get to the bottom of online cheating scheme

"This is another shoe dropping in a longstanding effort by the federal government to try and freeze these companies out of the American market," Daniel C. Richman, a professor of law at Columbia and a former federal prosecutor, told The New York Times.

"As some state governments reconsider their gambling laws, we may see more of these cases against foreign gambling companies," the Times quoted Richman as saying.

Rushing for online poker spoils, some US firms tie up with partners with a past

Prosecutors blast 'global Ponzi scheme'
On April 15 of last year -- a day known as Black Friday in the industry -- federal prosecutors in Manhattan filed a civil bank fraud and money-laundering suit against Full Tilt and PokerStars and brought criminal charges against their founders.

Prosecutors said both companies had used false billing codes to deceive banks that would not process gambling transactions, and they said Full Tilt had devolved into a "global Ponzi scheme," with the big-name players and other owners pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars that were owed to players.

Prosecutors accused Full Tilt of lying when it told customers that their accounts were "segregated and held separately" from the company's operating funds. In the end, it owed more than it could repay without a sale.

Internet poker owner handed 14-month prison term

Prosecutors said the amount of money being forfeited would more than cover the amount that Full Tilt had owed its players. An attorney for the company, Jeff Ifrah, said it only owed $330 million worldwide.

"Today?s settlements demonstrate that if you engage in conduct that violates the laws of the United States, as we alleged in this case," The New York Times quoted Bharara as saying, "then even if you are doing so from across the ocean, you will have to answer for that conduct and turn over your ill-gotten gains."

Complete coverage of US News on NBCNews.com

PokerStars will be barred from employing Full Tilt Chief Executive Raymond Bitar, who faces criminal fraud charges and is now out on bail, as well as part-owners and famous players Ferguson and Howard "The Professor" Lederer, who remain defendants in the civil case.

PokerStars also agreed that its founder Isai Scheinberg, who also faces criminal gambling, fraud and money laundering charges, would no longer serve as an executive or director. Scheinberg remains at large, according to prosecutors.

Wire Act
The settlement sets the stage for PokerStars to re-enter the online card games market in the United States. The Justice Department in Washington decided last year that the Wire Act, one of the key laws used in prosecuting gambling operations, should not apply to state-approved games -- opening the door to the legalization of online poker.

Zynga slapped with lawsuit, accused of insider trading

Four weeks ago, Delaware joined Nevada in legalizing online poker among state residents, and California and several other states are considering similar measures as they seek new tax revenue and technology jobs.

Mark Scheinberg, PokerStars' chairman and the son of its founder, said in a statement that the company was "delighted" to resolve the case and that the it hoped to join its rivals in seeking state licenses.

"The agreement explicitly permits PokerStars to apply to relevant U.S. gaming authorities, under both PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker brands, to offer real money online poker when state or federal governments introduce a framework to regulate such activity," Scheinberg said.

Poker company founder freed on bail in NY case

Nevada has already begun reviewing applications from some of the online sites that pulled out in 2006, including Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment and 888 Holdings Plc.

Those two companies declined to comment on the long-expected PokerStars settlement, but people close to both previously told Reuters that executives were angry that PokerStars was set to cash in on the customer loyalty built up in violation of the law.

The sites 888 and Bwin.Party, owner of the former top U.S. site PartyPoker, "left the country and lost their business, and now they may be the ones that are really hurt out of this," said Robert "Chipburner" Turner, a poker champion who advises other casinos.

More on Crime & Courts on NBCNews.com

Several companies besides PokerStars considered making bids for Full Tilt, including San Francisco-based social gaming company Zynga Inc., Bwin.Party and land-based casinos, according to a person involved in the process. The asset sale includes software, patents and 10,000 Web addresses. Zynga had no comment.

"For PokerStars, it's smart business to try to remove a number of the clouds which obviously were preventing them from operating in the U.S.," said Jon Richmond, chief executive of U.S. Digital Gaming, which is also seeking online licenses.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48433962/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

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Camouflage of moths: Secrets to invisibility revealed

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 31-Jul-2012
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Contact: S.J.Lee
82-108-028-7799
Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution at Seoul National University

Moths are iconic examples of camouflage. Their wing coloration and patterns are shaped by natural selection to match the patterns of natural substrates, such as a tree bark or leaves, on which the moths rest. But, according to recent findings, the match in the appearance was not all in their invisibility.

Despite a long history of research on these iconic insects, whether moths behave in a way to increase their invisibility has not been determined. A research team from the Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution at the Seoul National University has conducted an experiment to directly answer this question. Chang-ku Kang, Jong-yeol Moon, Sang-im Lee and Piotr Jablonski have found out that moths are walking on the tree bark until they settle down for resting; the insects seem to actively search for a place and a body position that makes them practically invisible.

Instead of placing moth specimens on a tree bark in various positions to see how body orientation of moths make them invisible to birds, which has been done by several researchers, "we let the moths to do the job for us" says Changku Kang, the PhD student who conducted the experiment. The researchers let inchworm moths of two species (Jankowskia fuscaria and Hypomycis roboraria; Fig. 1) to land on a tree bark and to freely choose the final resting spot and body orientation. Many moths did not remain at the spot of landing. They walked around with stretched wings as if they were looking for that one perfect spot that may make them invisible to predators.

To determine whether this final spot indeed made the moth really invisible, the researchers photographed each moth at its landing spot (initial spot) and at the final spot at which the moth decided to rest. Next, the researchers asked people to try to locate the moth from the photograph as quickly as possible. People had more difficulty finding the moths at their final spots than the same moths at their initial landing spots. Amazingly, this was even true for the species (Hypomecis roboraria) that only changed its resting spot on the tree bark without changing its body orientation. Therefore, the researchers concluded, that moths seems to actively choose the spot that makes them invisible to predators. How do they know how to become invisible? The research team is now trying to answer this question as the next step.

###

To see a movie of the 'positioning behavior' of moths go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOs5TsB6PXg&feature=g-upl

The original scientific report is here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02557.x/abstract;jsessionid=32BC7023A43BB788F2BA06500FF6E45C.d01t01

CK Kang, JY Moon, SI Lee, P.G. Jablonski, 2012, Camouflage through an active choice of a resting spot and body orientation in moths. Journal of Evolutionary Biology.

Article first published online: 6 Jul 2012. DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02557.x



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?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 31-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: S.J.Lee
82-108-028-7799
Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution at Seoul National University

Moths are iconic examples of camouflage. Their wing coloration and patterns are shaped by natural selection to match the patterns of natural substrates, such as a tree bark or leaves, on which the moths rest. But, according to recent findings, the match in the appearance was not all in their invisibility.

Despite a long history of research on these iconic insects, whether moths behave in a way to increase their invisibility has not been determined. A research team from the Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution at the Seoul National University has conducted an experiment to directly answer this question. Chang-ku Kang, Jong-yeol Moon, Sang-im Lee and Piotr Jablonski have found out that moths are walking on the tree bark until they settle down for resting; the insects seem to actively search for a place and a body position that makes them practically invisible.

Instead of placing moth specimens on a tree bark in various positions to see how body orientation of moths make them invisible to birds, which has been done by several researchers, "we let the moths to do the job for us" says Changku Kang, the PhD student who conducted the experiment. The researchers let inchworm moths of two species (Jankowskia fuscaria and Hypomycis roboraria; Fig. 1) to land on a tree bark and to freely choose the final resting spot and body orientation. Many moths did not remain at the spot of landing. They walked around with stretched wings as if they were looking for that one perfect spot that may make them invisible to predators.

To determine whether this final spot indeed made the moth really invisible, the researchers photographed each moth at its landing spot (initial spot) and at the final spot at which the moth decided to rest. Next, the researchers asked people to try to locate the moth from the photograph as quickly as possible. People had more difficulty finding the moths at their final spots than the same moths at their initial landing spots. Amazingly, this was even true for the species (Hypomecis roboraria) that only changed its resting spot on the tree bark without changing its body orientation. Therefore, the researchers concluded, that moths seems to actively choose the spot that makes them invisible to predators. How do they know how to become invisible? The research team is now trying to answer this question as the next step.

###

To see a movie of the 'positioning behavior' of moths go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOs5TsB6PXg&feature=g-upl

The original scientific report is here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02557.x/abstract;jsessionid=32BC7023A43BB788F2BA06500FF6E45C.d01t01

CK Kang, JY Moon, SI Lee, P.G. Jablonski, 2012, Camouflage through an active choice of a resting spot and body orientation in moths. Journal of Evolutionary Biology.

Article first published online: 6 Jul 2012. DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02557.x



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/lobe-com073112.php

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Election Talk: Find ways to allow a healthy mix of politics and ...

It's not uncommon for 33-year-old Ronn Torossian, the founder of PR firm 5W Public Relations, to overhear employees talking politics when he walks into his company's cafeteria.

"This is the first time in the workplace that I've ever seen people excited about [an] election," Torossian says of his New York City company.

In fact, Torossian and senior members of his team recently debated how much political talk should be allowed among 5W's 90 employees. They banned companywide e-mails in support of political candidates but decided that off-the-clock break room debates are just fine. Says Torossian, "People have a right to express what they want, within reason."

This is the most riveting election year in decades, and Americans are watching.

The result is more political discussions at the office, and employees might not be shy about sharing their views: A January American Management Association survey found that 39 percent of employees are comfortable sharing their political views, 26 percent are somewhat comfortable, and 13 percent are extremely comfortable dishing politics with their co-workers.

When political issues become major headline news, "it's almost inevitable that employees are going to talk about them in the workplace," says Manny Avramidis, senior vice president for global human resources at the American Management Association.

Employers, meanwhile, must note the fine line between freedom of expression and free-flowing political discourse that could turn employees against each other.

In a small company, it can be even harder to get away from these conversations. Divisiveness is "the last thing a business wants," says David Casey, an office managing shareholder for employment law firm Littler Mendelson.

Instead of forbidding political talk at work--a policy Avramidis views as unrealistic, anyway--remind employees that it can be distracting and can create hard feelings. Says Casey, "It's not a bad idea for management to say at some point in the political season, 'Let's remember why we're here, and let's remember that our job is to work cooperatively, effectively and productively with our co-workers and to serve our customers.'"

Source: http://politics.ezinemark.com/election-talk-find-ways-to-allow-a-healthy-mix-of-politics-and-productivity-7d37978383e0.html

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As Apple-Samsung Trial Begins, Google Looks On

When Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. face off in a high-stakes patent trial Monday, there will be another elephant in the room: Google Inc.

Though the litigants are the two largest makers of smartphones, the closely watched case is also a proxy for a wider war between the two Silicon Valley companies vying to control their inner workings?Apple and Google.

Apple, which transformed the market with the 2007 debut of the iPhone, has launched a global attack on Samsung and other handset makers that use Google's Android software. The trial kicking off Monday in federal court in San Jose, Calif., could help bolster or refute Apple's contention that Google's operating system illegally copies software features of its own devices.

A decision that Samsung's Android-powered hardware infringes Apple's patents could affect the outcomes of other cases, creating problems for the South Korean company and other Google partners around the world.

Documents: Lawsuit and Counterclaim

See annotated versions of Apple's lawsuit and Samsung's counterclaim in the case.

Documents: Trial Briefs

See Apple's and Samsung's trial briefs, filed days ahead of the trial.

Photos: What's at Stake

See some of the products at stake in the case.

Park Jae-Hee/Xinhua/Zuma Press

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet

Timeline: Tablet Tiff

See major events of Samsung's legal woes in patent infringement cases versus Apple.

A loss for Apple, conversely, could sustain the spread of competition that has made Android the No. 1 smartphone operating system.

"It really feels like Apple versus Google instead of Apple and the company whose name is on the suit," said Brian Love, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law who specializes in patents.

The Apple-Google brawl extends far beyond the courts, with both companies racing to develop new features, digital-content offerings?including books and music?and services like maps.

The dispute's legal chapter began more than two years ago, when Apple sued Android partner HTC Corp. of Taiwan in March 2010 and Samsung in April 2011. In a 2011 authorized biography, Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs called Android "a stolen product."

Google executives have denied stealing designs from Apple.

Apple didn't sue Google, however, opting instead to attack the companies that manufacture Android phones. It declines to say why.

Patent lawyers say it is easier to make a case for monetary damages against companies that make handsets and tablets and sell them to consumers.

Google, which generates most of its revenue from online advertising, licenses the software to partners free.

Apple's approach also opens up the possibility of getting the International Trade Commission?which often rules more quickly than federal courts?to halt sales of devices found to infringe Apple's patents.

Apple is asserting three patents in the current case that touch on features associated with Android or Android apps. Like Apple's iOS software, Android also allows consumers to control devices with gestures on a touch screen, run apps and present information via arrays of icons. One of those?related to the screen bouncing back when a finger swipes beyond the edge of a page?isn't in the current version of Android. The other features could require software modifications if the court finds Samsung infringed them.

The Cupertino, Calif., company is also asserting that Samsung ripped off the look and feel of the iPhone, including its rectangular shape with rounded corners. It is seeking more than $2.5 billion in damages.

Samsung denies infringing the patents, and it has leveled its own countercharges, alleging that Apple is violating Samsung's own patents related to how phones communicate and three patents concerning how phones handle pictures and music.

Google will be watching the action closely. Its employees aren't expected to testify, but legal representatives from Google are likely to attend the trial, according to a person who is familiar with the matter. Google lawyers have been consulting with device makers that Apple has sued, helping on matters such as the disclosure of internal company documents relevant to the case, this person said.

The search giant's name is likely to come up during the trial. Apple has submitted to the court an email that a Samsung employee sent to his colleagues that included notes about a 2010 design meeting at Google to discuss two Samsung Galaxy tablets.

The email transmitted the feedback that the Samsung devices were "too similar to Apple" and should be made "noticeably different," according to a copy of the email that was submitted to the court.

Spokesmen for Samsung and Google declined to comment.

The trial comes at a pivotal moment in the smartphone market, with Samsung extending its lead in the lucrative business. In the second quarter, the South Korean company accounted for 32.6% of global smartphone shipments, up from 29% in the quarter ending in March, according to the research firm IDC. Apple's share slid to 16.9% from 23% over that period.

The Samsung devices that are at issue in the trial are being, or have already been, phased out. But lawyers say the case?and what the jury and Judge Lucy Koh rule about certain patents?may establish precedents affecting battles over more current products.

Those include a second case between Samsung and Apple also pending in California's Northern District that affects Google even more directly. Apple is asserting that Samsung devices violate a greater number of features related to Android, including swiping to unlock the device, auto-correcting text and searching from a unified search box. Samsung is countering with claims that Apple infringed on its wireless telecommunications technology and other features.

Judge Koh this summer granted a preliminary injunction against Samsung's Galaxy Nexus phone in the case, though an appeals court later stayed the order. Google said that it has a workaround for the search-related patent Apple cited in the case.

Another looming battle: Motorola's complaint against Apple before the International Trade Commission, scheduled to be decided next month. Google acquired Motorola in May.

Motorola is asserting that Apple violated several patents related to wireless standards, the same type of patents that Samsung is using in its defense against Apple.

?Amir Efrati
contributed to this article.

Write to Jessica E. Vascellaro at jessica.vascellaro@wsj.com

Source: http://feeds.wsjonline.com/~r/wsj/xml/rss/3_7011/~3/UTUDGK3kJFQ/SB10000872396390444130304577557002317780484.html

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Allentown's Puerto Rican festival and parade draws thousands

Allentown's Jordan Park was awash with red, white and blue this afternoon as thousands descended to celebrate the city's first Puerto Rican cultural festival since 2008.

Many attendees wore clothing bearing the Puerto Rican colors, and the country's flag flew outside some houses on nearby streets. A flag-raising ceremony at Allentown City Hall and parade along Fifth and Hamilton streets kicked off the day's festivities.

The event featured both English- and Spanish-language musicians performing on a main stage as well as tents selling Puerto Rican dishes. Caribbean specialties included cuajitos, or hog maws, and pinchos, or grilled kebabs.

Allentown resident Blanca Lopez, whose husband is a DJ for the radio program "Latin Sunday" on Muhlenberg College's 91.7 FM, attended the event with her family. Lopez's five children rode in the parade wearing colorful vejigante masks. The masks have been worn for centuries by participants in Puerto Rican festival celebrations to symbolize resistance to colonialism.

"It's a major tradition in Puerto Rico, and it's great to keep it alive and teach the kids about it," Lopez said.

Lizbeth Santos, of Allentown, a first-time attendee of the city's Puerto Rican festivities, said today's event was all about celebrating with family and friends as a community.

"It's pretty much everyone here together," Santos said.?

That sentiment was echoed by Juliano Ruiz and Miguez Gonzalez, both of whom wore Puerto Rican-themed attire and said they attended multiple cultural festivals in the city as children.

"It's this big tradition with our families," Gonzalez said. "I just love to come up here -- everything's been fun."

Source: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2012/07/allentowns_puerto_rican_festiv.html

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Is My Roof Damaged? | ej-fransen.com

The roof is a house?s first level of protection. No house can be called a house if it does not have a roof. Hence, it is very important to have a sturdy roof. In addition, it is essential to keep the roof in top condition, especially before any disaster comes (storms, hurricanes, hail, blizzard, etc.).

What Causes Roof Damage?

Damage to the roof can be caused by a lot of things. However, the number one cause is lack of maintenance. People seldom check if their roofs are in good condition. Keep in mind that if any small damage on the roof is fixed early, it decreases the chances of bigger and more costly damage. Hence, check your roof once in a while and see if there are any indications of cracks, tears, leaks, and the like.

Natural elements like the sun, wind, rain, snow, and hail can also cause roof damage. The suns UV rays deteriorate the protective coating on tiles. Its heat can also cause the shingles, the wood, and the metals to warp. The wind, rain and snow can also contribute to the wear and tear of roofing materials. If your area is prone to big hail stones, you are in need of sturdier roofing. When your roof is never maintained for a long period of time, it can come crumbling down.

Falling debris is also another common cause of roof damage. Falling branches and flying debris can crash onto the roof and cause much destruction. Huge falling branches can crush the tiles, tear the metal sheets, or sever the wooden structure. Hence, if there are tree branches above your home, cut them before they fall and wreak the roofing materials.

How To Check For Damage

The first sign of deterioration in the roofing is leaking. During the rainy season, you will definitely know if you need to fix the roofing if the water leaks inside the house. However, you should also inspect the outside portion of the roof to determine if the shingles, tiles, metal sheets, or wooden planks have been damaged. A thorough inspection on the roofing materials will tell you if you need to hire a contractor to do the fixing. If the damages are small, you can always do the patchwork or fixing task. If the damages exceed your capacity, better hire experts.

Check for punctures as well. This task can be tricky, especially if the roofing material is made of shingles or tiles. Thoroughly inspect for even the smallest punctures, holes, or cracks in between these materials to ensure that you get enough materials for future repair. Roofing inspection is not a very hard task. In fact, it only takes a few minutes of your time. As a recommendation, inspect any roof damage as early as possible before it gets worse.

Mark Tulley is a freelance writer who covers home improvement. For the past 6 years, he has been writing about everything from roof repair to dishwasher installation. Mark considers himself an authority on many topics, but always wants to learn more.

Source: http://ej-fransen.com/is-my-roof-damaged/

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